“I Just Asked Him to Stop Calling Me” – Frustrated Coach Kavanagh Taught Rookie Conor McGregor a Lesson as He Introduced Him to the First Rule of MMA

Every normal person goes through a lot of self-doubt, uncertainties, and questions as they take the first step toward something new. The story was no different for the UFC legend, Conor McGregor. The Irishman has achieved a lot in life with sheer determination and perseverance. However, we cannot give all the credit to him alone. In most cases, behind every successful athlete, there would be a coach or mentor who showed them the right path. In the life of the notorious, it stands so true that his coach John Kavanagh was there as a guiding light. Kavanagh in his book ‘Win or Lose: MMA, Conor McGregor, and Me’ has written how the boy from Dublin was a troubled youth. The Irishman, at the very beginning of his MMA career, got strayed into the wrong company. Nonetheless, John Kavanagh’s book also detailed how he taught the notorious newbie his first rule in MMA.

The first lesson of Conor McGregor

Kavanagh wrote in his book about dealing with the young, impatient McGregor, who had the wrong attitude despite being fascinated with winning. However, Kavanagh knew the right way to train the Irishman. The coach gave him his first MMA lesson when he started to become extremely obsessed with the thought of his opponent.

He wrote, “That’s an attitude I’ve passed down to my fighters, because late pull-outs are a part of the game that you just have to get used to.” He further talked about the “philosophy” that he teaches his fighter, and the mentality that one has to have in the fight game, “Our philosophy is that there is no opponent because we can only control our own actions, so let’s just get on with it. If an opponent is particularly adept in one area, of course you can ensure that you’re ready for that. But spending time obsessing over it is likely to be detrimental to your own.

The right attitude of a fighter

It is clear from his words that the coach gave him the most important lesson for an MMA fighter. He showed the Irishman that a fighter can never be completely certain of his opponent. However, a true fighter should always be ready to fight anyone present in the octagon. Kavanagh also described his own experience. He wrote, “I recall the build-up to one of my own fights when the promoter kept ringing me to let me know about one change of opponent after another. In the end I just asked him to stop calling me.” Here he talked about his own experience, where the promoter repeatedly called him prior to his own fight. He received a call from the promoter informing him of each new opponent. The coach acknowledges that he developed this attitude toward the opposition for his personal benefit.

READ MORE: Ex-UFC Star Artem Lobov Set to Add a Few More Bucks to Conor McGregor’s Net Worth in 2023

Today, Kavanagh believes that he was effective in ingraining the same mindset in the fighters he taught. One of his opponents, with whom he had the most difficulty, is now a celebrated UFC superstar. The Notorious is now the biggest name in the UFC. He has already achieved championship titles in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions and has already captured millions of hearts. 

WATCH THE STORY: “I Gave Up on Calling Him” Unable to Even Pay His Fees, Conor McGregor Scammed his coach of $500 in His Rookie Days